For Mid-Michigan flood victims, waiting for their day in court took nearly six years.
Accountability, when the State of Michigan is involved, is rarely swift. It is earned through persistence, evidence and a refusal to accept delay as the final answer.
That opportunity finally came in January 2026.
After nearly three weeks of testimony, a civil bench trial concluded in the Michigan Court of Claims, where attorneys representing homeowners and business owners devastated by the Edenville and Sanford dam failures presented their case to the court. The focus was narrow but critical: whether the State of Michigan bears responsibility for the catastrophic flooding on May 19, 2020.
Ven Johnson Law represents 250 flood victims and serves as lead counsel for thousands of affected families and businesses.
“This phase of the case was about responsibility,” said Tom Waun, managing partner of Ven Johnson Law’s Flint office and a lead attorney in the trial. “We presented expert testimony to explain what happened, why it happened and how the State’s actions directly contributed to the failure.”
During the bench trial, the court heard detailed testimony from experts in dam safety, meteorology, hydrology and geotechnical engineering. That evidence addressed rainfall, water management decisions and how state-directed water levels behind the dam created conditions that made failure inevitable. Experts testified that had water levels been properly managed before the storm, the breach would not have occurred.
The dam failures triggered evacuations across Midland and Gladwin counties, destroying approximately 2,500 homes and businesses and displacing more than 10,000 residents.
Because the case is bifurcated, the trial addressed liability only, and damages were not yet considered. At the conclusion of testimony, Judge James Redford ordered both sides to submit post-trial written briefs by February 26, 2026. Once briefing is complete, the court will review the full evidentiary record and issue a written opinion determining whether the case proceeds to the next phase to determine a payout.
There is no guaranteed timeline for when Judge Redford’s will issue his opinion. He has acknowledged the volume and complexity of the record, with a ruling expected in the coming months.
What is clear is this: Ven Johnson Law will continue to stand with these victims. Nearly six years after their lives were upended, the pursuit of accountability is not over.
Justice is not measured by how long it takes but by whether responsibility is finally assigned.
Government officials are elected with the presumption that they monitor, maintain and make necessary repairs to protect our critical infrastructure, such as dams, sewers and roads…it’s why we pay taxes. But instead, they’ve turned a blind eye for decades. And when a disaster unfolded due to this negligence, those responsible chose not to help, but to hide.
Ven Johnson Law will not stop fighting for accountability after the catastrophic failure of the Edenville and Sanford dams – a tragedy that was entirely preventable and long forewarned.
find your senator
When reaching out to your legislators, we encourage you to include your personal story of loss if you or someone you know was affected. Below is suggested language you may use when making phone calls, and sending emails and letters:
Five years ago, on May 19, 2020, the Edenville and Sanford dams failed, flooding and decimating homes, businesses and lives in mid-Michigan. My community continues to suffer. Thousands of people – friends, family and neighbors – have been left entirely without support.
We have received NO justice, NO compensation and are still paying taxes on homes that have lost a significant amount of their value. And now, five years later, the State of Michigan is still trying to get out of the lawsuit.
In August 2024, the State filed another motion seeking governmental immunity in an effort to have the case thrown out. Once again, this delays justice for flood victims.
This process has dragged on long enough. I urge you to stand with us and demand that the government stop using our tax dollars to avoid responsibility, and instead, use them to compensate the victims and rebuild the dams.
Respectfully,
(Your name)